FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION OF NERICA-1 RICE AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

The research investigated the factors influencing adoption of Nerica-1 rice in the north-east, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 605 NERICA-1 rice farmers. The primary data and secondary information were used for this study. Frequencies, percentages, means, adoption index and Tobit regression model were used to analysed data. The result revealed that larger number (49%) of NERICA-1 rice farmers in north-east were within the age range of 21-30. The result showed that a majority (59%) of NERICA-1 rice farmers had ≤ 1.5 ha of land for rice cultivation. The result indicated that a majority (73%), (64%) and (56%) of NERICA-1 rice farmers adopted 70-100% of the production practices in in Adamawa, Bauchi and Taraba States respectively. The result established that marital status had positive coefficient (0.507) and significant influence on the adoption level of NERICA-1 rice at 1% probability level. It is concluded that NERICA-1 rice farmers in the north-east were smallholder, young and active. Educational level, marital status, membership of cooperative had significant influence on the level of adoption of NERICA-1 rice.  It is recommended that Government at all levels (federal, state and local), NGOs, private and public extension workers should encourage farmers to have more involvement in the cooperative societies to assess more inputs and share information among them. This could be done through sensitisation of farmers on the benefits of participation in cooperative societies.